competence / authority
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competence
The ability, knowledge, and skills needed to handle a particular task or requirement well.
Für diese Position sind sowohl fachliche als auch soziale Kompetenz erforderlich.
Both professional and social competence are required for this position.
The noun 'die Kompetenz' belongs to the word family of the adjective 'kompetent' (competent). A person who has a particular competence is described as competent.
Er ist ein sehr kompetenter Berater in Finanzfragen.
He is a very competent adviser on financial matters.
The meaning 'Fähigkeit' (ability) is often recognized by adjectives such as 'sozial' (social), 'fachlich' (professional), or 'sprachlich' (linguistic). The meaning 'Zuständigkeit' (responsibility/authority) is usually found in formal, legal, or political contexts, often with the preposition 'in'.
Für den Job ist interkulturelle Kompetenz sehr wichtig.
Intercultural competence is very important for the job.
When it is about abilities, people often speak of 'sozialer Kompetenz' (social competence), 'fachlicher Kompetenz' (professional competence), or 'digitaler Kompetenz' (digital competence). Typical verbs are 'Kompetenzen erwerben' (to acquire competencies) or 'Kompetenz zeigen' (to show competence).
In der Weiterbildung konnte sie viele neue Kompetenzen erwerben.
In the continuing education course, she was able to acquire many new competencies.
In the meaning 'Zuständigkeit' (responsibility/authority), the fixed expression 'in die Kompetenz von jemandem/etwas fallen' (to fall within someone's/something's authority) is often used. It means that someone or an institution is responsible for it.
Der Schutz der Umwelt fällt in die Kompetenz des Umweltministeriums.
The protection of the environment falls within the authority of the Ministry of the Environment.
experience
'Erfahrung' and 'Kompetenz' both describe that someone can do something in a certain area. 'Erfahrung' emphasizes the path to getting there: you have done or experienced something often and learned from it. 'Kompetenz' emphasizes the ability itself: someone can handle a task well. Experience can lead to competence, but it is not the same thing. A person can have competence through training, even if they do not yet have a lot of experience. If you are talking about long-term practice, 'Erfahrung' fits. If you mean ability or suitability, 'Kompetenz' fits better.
Frau Becker hat die nötige Kompetenz, um das Team zu leiten.
Ms. Becker has the necessary competence to lead the team.
Für diese Aufgabe ist Erfahrung im Umgang mit Kunden sehr hilfreich.
For this task, experience in dealing with customers is very helpful.